22 And convince some, who doubt; 23 save some, by snatching them out of the fire; on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Jude 1:22-23 (RSV)

In many movies, our hero is on a race against time. And at least in action movies, that race against time is exemplified by the timer on a bomb. Some mission must be completed before the timer reaches 0:00.

As we mentioned – this is a common theme in movies because we can relate… We are all in a race against time. The problem is – we don’t have a little LED timer to tell us when the bomb is going to go off!

Isn’t it funny, how the terrorists in movies always notify us of how much time we have left. They identify the bomb also – with a little light.

Of course – in real life this doesn’t happen, does it? Terrorists don’t always put lights on bombs. The enemy sneaks up on us.

I want to talk to you a little bit about time. Time can be an enemy, or it can be a friend, depending on our perspective. It always starts off as a friend, doesn’t it? But before it’s over – we often view it as an enemy. I want to help you today – to gain a balanced perspective of time.

First – it helps to understand the purpose of time. Lucifer lives in the glory of God, but chooses against him. Lucifer made a choice, but could not repent. So God cast him from His glory. Satan could no longer dwell in the eternal presence of God. Apparently God created a place that was shielded from His glory, and puts Lucifer there. It was the beginning of time and space.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Gen 1:1-2

Circle these words: void – darkness - deep. He created an environment that was shielded from his glory. But then God began to transform that place, by His Spirit and His Word.

And the Spirit of God moved up on the face of the waters. And God said… Gen 1:2-3

Notice the purpose of time… God began to reveal himself gradually – something that was only possible in the context of time. God spoke, the evening and the morning were the first day, God spoke again, second day, etc…

What was the purpose of creation? Redemption! God turned something bad into something good. You see, God said – I am going to call my children out of that dimension that I have created. I will reveal myself little by little to them, and allow them to choose me. And if they choose wrong – there is still a chance for them. Because they dwell in time and space, instead of eternity – they have an opportunity to choose again.

Let’s look at what happened… Remember the devil lives here, too. Something annoys him. Here is this man, and he has a relationship with God. That’s something the devil had at one time, but has no longer. And so he says, “I am going to see if I can get the man to make the same wrong